1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to digital imaging and, in particular, to systems and methods for providing digital video images that also are configured to provide relatively higher resolution still images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Digital video is presented to a viewer as a sequence of still images known as “frames.” These frames typically are displayed to the viewer at a frame rate of approximately 30 frames per second. As is known, digital video characterized by a resolution of 640 pixel by 480 pixel or better is considered adequate quality for a typical digital video application. This resolution, i.e., 640 pixels by 480 pixels, is known as Video Graphics Array (“VGA”) resolution.
Media, such as photographs or other print media, typically require a higher resolution than that typically provided by digital video in order to provide what is considered to be a resolution of adequate quality. By way of example, it is generally known that to provide a photograph of 8 inches by 10 inches, approximately 2 mega pixel resolution is required. This resolution approximately equates to a 1024 pixel by 768 pixel screen resolution. Thus, digital video typically is not provided at a resolution that readily supports conversion of a frame of the digital video to a print medium.
Oftentimes, it may be desirable to provide digital video providing enhanced resolution and/or an increased frame rate. Limitations, such as memory size and the total raw data speed of the pixels required, for example, tend to make fulfilling this desire impractical. Therefore, although it may be desirable to provide frames of digital video having improved resolution, the aforementioned and/or other limitations tend to restrict digital video to lower frame resolutions than those desirable in other applications, such as still imagery. Thus, the ability to provide still images on a print medium while using image data from digital video typically yields still images with less than adequate resolution.
By way of example, reference is made to the schematic diagram of FIG. 1, which depicts a representative frame 102 of digital video image data being rendered on a display device 104. As is known, the rendered image corresponding to the frame 102 possesses an appropriate resolution during such display. This may be due, at least in part, to the process of displaying image data of sequential frames at a frame rate of approximately 30 frames per second during normal viewing. However, when a user converts the digital video image data corresponding to frame 102 by rendering that data onto a print medium, such as onto paper 106 by printer 108, for example, the resulting image may possess less than desired resolution. For instance, the printed image may appear grainy or, otherwise, somewhat out of focus.